The topic of transparency and communication seem to be frequent items in the discussion of the Eagle-Vail Property Owners Association Board elections. Let's discuss that.

In my mind, and in the minds of many, transparency in governance means that board meetings are noticed to the public in advance. This is actually a commitment stated in POA governing documents. One response has been that Colorado laws don't require the same notice provisions as the Metro District, and so the POA doesn't have to meet those standards. That's pretty silly; our POA Board should not be operating with a lowest-common-denominator approach to transparency. That's an integrity issue.

Going forward, I can commit to you that your new POA Bboard will adhere to our own stated standards in notification to the community of board meetings. We will work to set a meeting schedule for the year, and communicate that clearly. Signs will be placed on our monuments where Eagle-Vail meets Highway 6.

This will be supplemented by adjusting our new relationship with Bold to require regular e-blasts to our property owners. We will work to ensure that Bold undertakes significant outreach to collect email addresses, as the original transition plan clearly didn't plan for or execute that transition very well.

Perhaps most importantly, we know now, 10-plus months ahead, that your board will discuss 2019 budgets in the November/December timeframe. Your board is easily able to schedule those budget meetings now, and plan ahead to be sure that all property owners have the opportunity to attend those meetings, and offer their thoughts.

Speaking of financials, I hope you read the budget submitted with your ballot closely. Frankly, it is irresponsible. It has a net/net deficit in excess of $100,000, and a side effect of that is the two year ransacking of your non-operating reserves — a 91 percent drawdown.

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Our commitment is to manage and lead the POA like the business it is, and to make effective and reasonable decisions — both financially and operationally.

Eagle-Vail deserves better than what we've seen the past two years. Together, and working with the Eagle-Vail Metro District, we can maintain Eagle-Vail as the premier V-valley community, with a rich array of well-maintained amenities. Financial strategies and actions which endanger the fiscal health of the POA must be replaced by sound budget work.

Joanna Hopkins, Dan Ramker and I are committed to providing the leadership our community needs and deserves. We are committed to introducing a new era of transparency, clear communication and responsible financial strategies for the Eagle-Vail Property Owners Association.

I hope you'll join us, vote for us, and usher in a new way of doing business in Eagle-Vail, and showing that our community can truly be Better Together.